Champions League arse Woopin’

[Fk_Pitt]

Not sure I’ve ever seen such a lopsided game in a competition like this. Man City is making the world champs Real Madrid look like a middle school team. It’s 2-0, and it could be 6-0 and we still have 10 minutes in the first half to play. City have had 85% possession and have completed 400 passes vs 80 for RM. Real Madrid have not completed 1 dribble yet in the match.

I’m a big fan of Carlo Ancelotti. Hopefully he can do something at halftime because right now he even looks confused. I can’t stand to see City win CL, so I am hoping for a miracle here.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I still no little about the game technically but even I can tell this is like a college football team playing a high school team. Total arse whoopin.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I still no little about the game technically but even I can tell this is like a college football team playing a high school team. Total arse whoopin.

Best comparison would be all of those super bowls in the 80’s and early 90’s when it was supposed to be the two best teams, yet the NFC was dominant and winning the game like 55-10. That’s this match.

 

[mike412]

There haven’t been many matches I have watched in the past few years that I have enjoyed as much as that one. Watching RM lose is always fun for a Barca fan, but watching them get humiliated is almost orgasmic. Plus, it was against a team coached by Pep. The icing on the cake is that he did it by following the formula Barca used to beat them 3 times this season — 4 MF, with Grealish acting like a LW (a la Gavi) once they were in the attacking zone. What Grealish did to Dani Carvajal in that game was almost illegal; if his passing had been better, MC could have scored 10.

Pep made every adjustment mandated by that first match of the tie. MC took full advantage of RM’s weakness at LB and RB, pressed their MF relentlessly to take advantage of Modric’s and Kroos’ advanced age and lack of pace; and made Vini Jr. and Benzema almost ghosts. It was beautiful to see.

The rumor now in Spain is that Ancelotti is out and Zidane will return. IMO RM still has 5 of the most talented young players in the world, including the most talented, Vini Jr., so I don’t expect a falloff from them. Their one huge problem is that none of those players is a defender. They are really weak at both outside back positions; Alaba has never been the same since his injury and the other CBs are inconsistent.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

There haven’t been many matches I have watched in the past few years that I have enjoyed as much as that one. Watching RM lose is always fun for a Barca fan, but watching them get humiliated is almost orgasmic. Plus, it was against a team coached by Pep. The icing on the cake is that he did it by following the formula Barca used to beat them 3 times this season — 4 MF, with Grealish acting like a LW (a la Gavi) once they were in the attacking zone. What Grealish did to Dani Carvajal in that game was almost illegal; if his passing had been better, MC could have scored 10.

Pep made every adjustment mandated by that first match of the tie. MC took full advantage of RM’s weakness at LB and RB, pressed their MF relentlessly to take advantage of Modric’s and Kroos’ advanced age and lack of pace; and made Vini Jr. and Benzema almost ghosts. It was beautiful to see.

The rumor now in Spain is that Ancelotti is out and Zidane will return. IMO RM still has 5 of the most talented young players in the world, including the most talented, Vini Jr., so I don’t expect a falloff from them. Their one huge problem is that none of those players is a defender. They are really weak at both outside back positions; Alaba has never been the same since his injury and the other CBs are inconsistent.

This is why I wanted chelsea to wait a bit because I had a feeling that Ancelotti would potentially be on the outs. But to be honest I’m not sure who would be best for this Chelsea undertaking. But as I said a year ago…Carlo himself feels that he has a shelf life (maximum 6-7 years per stint), and things might be lining up for him to “take a break”, spend some time at his house in Vancouver, and then take over Canada for the World Cup. I thought another year at RM would be better timing but RM might escalate things.

But who has better young talent than Barca right now?

And I look for RM to spend heavily for Jude Bellingham now because that midfield is almost as old as you and I. I know Man City wants him, as well as Liverpool. And usually what RM wants, RM gets. But will he be tempted to go be a part of what Pep has built?

But then again, Pep has always talked about retirement. How long before he comes over to New York City to recharge his batteries?

 

[mike412]

Barca has Pedri, who is exceptional; DeJong, who I think is their best MF right now; Balde, who has been solid and a real eye opener because he was an unknown; and Gavi, who I personally think is overrated. They have lots of other young guys who are talked about a lot but aren’t proven. They always have plenty of those and 1 in 5 makes an impact. Ansu Fati, I’m afraid, will never make it back from that injury. He is a shell of what he was.

RM has Vini Jr., who I think already is the best winger in the world and one of the top 5 players; Rodrygo; Valverde; Camavinga, who is only 20; Tchouameni; Rodriguez, who was electrifying the two times I saw him; and a guy named Vinicius Tobias, who didn’t play much but is supposedly Vini’s younger brother or cousin. Add Bellingham to that.

To me the difference is that RM has more young guys who can put it in the net, and that is how you win. Whether they have any young guys who can help keep it out of the net is the issue. Their defenders now aren’t old; they are good but not great.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Barca has Pedri, who is exceptional; DeJong, who I think is their best MF right now; Balde, who has been solid and a real eye opener because he was an unknown; and Gavi, who I personally think is overrated. They have lots of other young guys who are talked about a lot but aren’t proven. They always have plenty of those and 1 in 5 makes an impact. Ansu Fati, I’m afraid, will never make it back from that injury. He is a shell of what he was.

RM has Vini Jr., who I think already is the best winger in the world and one of the top 5 players; Rodrygo; Valverde; Camavinga, who is only 20; Tchouameni; Rodriguez, who was electrifying the two times I saw him; and a guy named Vinicius Tobias, who didn’t play much but is supposedly Vini’s younger brother or cousin. Add Bellingham to that.

To me the difference is that RM has more young guys who can put it in the net, and that is how you win. Whether they have any young guys who can help keep it out of the net is the issue. Their defenders now aren’t old; they are good but not great.

Congratulations to Mike on Barcelona’s league win.